WEDDING FLOWERS: Norwegian Royalty
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Showing posts with label Norwegian Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norwegian Royalty. Show all posts

Royal Social Media: October's Instagram hits

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Social media is fast becoming THE way royal houses choose to communicate. In an age where news moves faster than fast and often gets boiled down to a few words and a picture or two, official social media channels help set the agenda while keeping a seemingly insatiable appetite for royal stories going. What the royal houses choose to post on their official Instagram accounts tells us what they want to show to the world. What gets the most likes tells us just what hits a nerve. So to see what really got royal audiences going in October, here's a run down of the most popular Instagram posts on each official royal account. It's going to be busy - we're off to a swimming pool, climbing trees and trying out a bit of ballet. And you have to wait til the end for the biggest hit of the month. Grab the tea and biccies and enjoy October's royal social media hits.







Let's start with the best photo of the month, a future king and queen apparently under water. We know Mary and Fred are pretty unflappable but even they need help not to appear soaking wet while apparently under water. The royal couple were photographed at the famous ''Swimming Pool Illusion'' artwork by Leandro Erlich at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa during their visit to Japan this month. It is, of course, an optical illusion but left us all with a fab photo of the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. It was a huge hit on the official Danish Royal Household Instagram account, winning 16.2k likes, more even than the new photo of Prince Christian taken to mark his 12th birthday which wasn't far behind with 15.1k likes.



It shows the power of a good photo. Usually birthday portraits are a sure fire for the most liked any month of the year. That was the case in Belgium where a new photo of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant was shared to mark her 16th birthday and won just over 1,500 likes. It doesn't sound a lot when you look at the numbers for other royal accounts but this is the smallest of the official regal Instagram accounts and photos average around 300 likes. The total for the new portraits of the heir to the throne are big for this channel.



Another relatively small and new channel is the one belonging to the Norwegian Royal Household which began by sharing photos of the places and people visited by the family on their travels. Now it focuses much more on the royals themselves and the likes are jumping as a result. The most popular photo here in October was one of three generations of royal women opening a new sculpture in the park named after future Norwegian queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The second in line to the throne was snapped with her mum, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her granny, Queen Sonja, on an autumnal day and the result was liked over 2,900 times. The photo itself is a great example of why social media can work so well for royalty. It's not the best quality shot (blurred here and there) and hardly formal but it's got a real behind the scenes feel as Mette-Marit looks on proudly at her little girl who is, herself, taking the camera on with confidence. Easy to see why it was published and liked.

OK, we've done the swimming pool, time to climb a tree. Clarence House went through a phase of sharing so much on its Instagram feed it was hard to keep up. It also comes a long way behind in the number of likes compared to the two other accounts run by the British royals and this month's most popular image is interesting in that regards. Despite plenty of photos of Charles and Camilla going about their royal business, top of the tree was an owl having a snooze. It is a fab photo, there's no doubt about that, and if you stop and read the post that goes with it, it's also a rather clever way of promoting a cause close to Prince Charles' heart. There is lots of information there about the owl himself and why such care is being taken around him and his habitat. Saving the planet without getting everyone's back up - perhaps Prince William needs to take a few lessons from papa.



While Instagram is a very modern medium, sometimes history can't be beaten. The most liked photo on the Royal Family's official account came from 1958. The image of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh meeting members of the Royal Ballet after a performance almost fifty years ago scored 37.5k likes. But then what's not to love about the pure divadom of the ballet stars as they curtsey to the Queen in one of her sparkliest tiaras? Social media is all about moments and this is 



Social media can also let some very serious moments take on the significance they need. On October 5th 2017, the high profile politician, Eberhard van der Laan, died after a very public battle with lung cancer. He was 62 and had given up his tenure as Mayor of Amsterdam less than three weeks earlier. The Dutch Royal Household posted a poignant tribute to Mr van der Laan with a personal message from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima who underlined their admiration for his love for Amsterdam and his desire to help others. They also offered their condolences to his family. Over 12,000 people showed their support for this post.


New beginnings also featured high on the most liked royal Instagrams of October 2017. After keeping us waiting for several weeks, Prince Gabriel of Sweden finally starred in his own official portraits. The little prince, born on August 31st 2017, was snapped in the arms of his father, Prince Carl Philip, while mummy Sofia cuddled big brother, Alexander. The photos won 35.5k likes - hardly a surprise to learn they are the most popular on the official Swedish royal account. When were new baby photos ever going to be anything other than completely and totally loved?



But the most popular photo shared on official royal Instagram accounts in October was all about a major story for 2018. The first official appearance of the Duchess of Cambridge following the announcement that she is expecting her third baby was always going to get people excited so it's perhaps no surprise that the photo of Kate with William at a reception to mark World Mental Health Day got just so much love. It won 127k likes, making it easily the most popular photo on the always popular Kensington Palace account. We can expect royal social media to be dominated by the new baby, due in April 2018. No doubt there will be plenty of posts to come - the likes are bound to follow.

5 royal brides who didn't wear tiaras....

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Royal brides wear tiaras, we all know that to be true. And if you're hubby is a) a ruling sovereign or b) quite likely to end up as one then a diadem is all but compulsory. However, several very important royal brides have bucked that trend including one who celebrates her 49th wedding anniversary today and walked down the aisle with only flowers in her hair. Here are five famous royal consorts who didn't wear tiaras to their weddings.



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Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
April 26th 1923


When Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Albert, Duke of York at Westminster Abbey she wasn't expected to be queen. She was also marrying into a royal family that hadn't really done bridal tiaras for a while. So the lack of diamond diadem was less surprising than it might have been. Instead, the woman who would end up as Queen Mother chose to wear myrtle in her hair with a white York rose on either side of her headdress. Yep, even then, Elizabeth knew just how to do things right. This dress is very 1920s and really rather simple for a woman who would become one of the last empresses of the 20th century. Not many of those just wear flowers in their hair.





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 Princess Astrid of Sweden
November 1926

Just three years later, one of the most popular royal brides of the twenties swerved a wedding tiara chance not once but twice. Astrid of Sweden's marriage to Leopold, heir to the throne of Belgium, was one of the love stories of the time. The couple were hugely popular with massive crowds gathering for both their civil wedding in Stockholm on November 4th 1926 and again for their religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudula in Brussels on November 10th that year. Astrid didn't wear a tiara to either celebration. She kept things very traditional for her home wedding, choosing a Swedish crown of myrtle to top her lace veil. There was even less adornment for her Belgian wedding even though just about every female guest at the ceremony was wearing a tiara. Astrid was marrying an heir to the throne but chose to do things her way. She would become Queen of the Belgians in 1934 on her husband's accession as Leopold III. Queen Astrid died following a car accident on August 29th 1935.




Grace Kelly
April 19th 1956

Grace Kelly wasn't just marrying a sovereign when she walked down the aisle in Monaco to say 'I do' to Prince Rainier III on April 19th 1956. She was creating the image of the perfect princess. The Hollywood superstar turned royal bride was dressed to impress by Helen Rose of MGM and the two of them decided to ditch the diadem. Instead of a tiara, the bride the world wanted to see wore a beaded lace Juliet cap. But then Grace didn't need diamonds to sparkle. Her wedding look was iconic from the moment it appears and remains the same today. 

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Paola Ruffo di Calabria
July 2nd 1959

Like Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Paola didn't think she was marrying a future king when she said 'I do' to Albert of Belgium in Brussels in July 1959. Her new husband was the younger brother of King Baudouin of the Belgians who, at that time, was expected to wed and have children himself. So Paola's marriage - which she had wanted to have in Rome - was a lower key affair although still packed with royalty, a huge train and epic amounts of flowers. And the bride's decision to wear orange blossom in her hair rather than a tiara was a bit of a departure from the expected norm at the time although all eyes were on her Brussels lace veil, a family heirloom of hers. Paola ended up Queen of the Belgians when Albert succeeded his brother in 1993 after Baudouin and his wife, Fabiola, had no children of their own. Albert abdicated in favour of his son, Philipppe, in 2013.

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Sonja Haraldsen
August 29th 1968

Like many a 1960s bride before and after her, Sonja Haraldsen went fake flowers for her hair ornament. Never mind that she was marrying the future King of Norway. Never mind that their royal romance had caused all kinds of controversy as the Crown Prince was meant to marry regally. Never mind that on saying 'I do' Sonja became the leading lady of Norway as her new father-in-law, King Olav, was a widower. None of that was enough to persuade Sonja to drop her dream look and swap a (rather pretty) artificial flower arrangement for a tiara. She chose a small spray of white flowers to top her simple veil and dress. Sonja, who became Queen of Norway in 1991, has never knowingly shied away from a tiara since her wedding but on the day she became a royal bride she chose to do things her way and keep the flowers unreal.

The royal week, in 5 photos

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One royal week, all summed up in just five photos. It's still quiet on the royal front with holidays dominating but we've had a flurry of activity - most of it in Denmark - and slowly the regal images are starting to appear again. Here's a look back at the big royal events of the past seven days in five photos.




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 The sadness that struck Spain was written all over King Felipe's face as he joined thousands in a minute's silence in Barcelona in memory of those killed in the terrorist attack which struck Las Ramblas in the city on August 17th. That attack and another in nearby Cambrils left fourteen people dead. Felipe stood in silent remembrance before joining a round of applause in support of those bereaved and injured.



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Happier times in Denmark where Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine started school this week and after a rather jolly press call with their parents outside their home, the twins were snapped stepping through the gates for their first day by their mum who then shared it on the official Danish royal Instagram account. Frederik and Mary's youngest looked more than ready for this big step in their young lives. They are one seriously cool set of six year olds.



Queen Sonja was left all smiles as she enjoyed the happiness that the presentation of the music prize which bears her name brought to this year's winner. Senugju Bahg of South Korea looked beyond himself with joy as he collected his award and Sonja looked like a royal giggle or two wasn't far behind either.



The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, better known as the Duke of Rothesay and the Earl of Strathearn when in Scotland, headed to a performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo this week. And while we got plenty of smiley father son pictures, it was Charles who ended up as a photo star with this rather moody image of him taking the salute at the event. The nights are starting to draw in....




It was sunshine and showers for Crown Princess Mary as she took part in the official opening of the Odense Flower Festival. Like the thoughtful royal she is, Mary chose a floral dress with a summer hat for the event which was rained on most regally. It all combined to produce a rather regal vision of the changing seasons as Mary held some sunflowers while surrounded by umbrellas. Summer is on its way out....

Photo credit: Edinburgh Tattoo Twitter.

Gold for August: Queen Sonja's modern tiara

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Queen Sonja of Norway in her golden tiara during a State Visit to Poland in 2012
(photo kongehuset.no)

August is a chance to look at some of the gems that don't fit the calendar of jewels and golden pieces are right at the top of this sparkling list. Given that it's been associated with royalty for centuries. gold plays little part in the tiara collection of many royal houses but the ruling houses in Scandinavia are changing all that right now. Queen Sonja was a bit of a trailblazer in that regard - meet her golden tiara, you won't forget it in a hurry.





This very modern and very unusual piece was a present to Sonja from her husband when she turned 60 in 1997. It came with a necklace and earrings and quickly became one of her favourite pieces.





It's made of gold which has been flattened into sleek strips and turned into a tiara. Between those slats of gold are tiny diamonds to add some sparkle. It's got the air of a kokoshnik tiara about it, a shape not found elsewhere in the Norwegian collection, but while other versions of that design mostly use precious stones to make the frame of the diadem, this is pure gold.




In the middle is space for a stunner of a sparkler and Sonja has really made the most of this gem opportunity by mixing it up and keeping it fresh. We've seen different shapes of orange topaz artfully arranged in the middle gap to make this piece even more modern (as if that were possible). Sonja has also added a row of small, round diamonds to the centre but perhaps its most distinctive appearance has been with a large green tourmaline at the heart of the headpiece.



The square cut tourmaline also underlines one of the big issues with this tiara - its tendency to look just a little bit space age. Its shape is so modern and the gold so dominant that its hard not to look at this and think of the final frontier. But Sonja has definitely got the style to make this one work and while it might not be a look that would carry too well, it suits her and then some.



All in all, this is a modern and very personal take on the tradition of the tiara and one that has made Sonja's mark on the jewellery collection she now commands as Queen of Norway. And it gives us a perfect tiara to add to the mix with its gold for August.

Royal social media stars of July 2017

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Royalty relies on image. Since medieval times, the appearance of things regal plays a big part in the success or otherwise of a dynasty. From Holbein's portraits to Beaton's photos, one moment caught forever can have a huge say on the forever prospects of a royal family. In the 21st century, image remains just as important and is played out in many different ways with Instagram increasingly popular. Nearly all the royal houses of Europe have an official account now (we're looking at you, here, Felipe and Letizia because you broke our hearts not launching one to co-incide with the State Visit) and what they post there gives us a pretty good idea of how they want to be seen right now. Just as importantly, what we like gives a good indication of how we see the royals right now. And birthdays and cute kids always win. Nothing beats a birthday on Instagram. Except puppies, and we had one of those this month, too. In a cake filled month, here's what won hearts for the royals in July 2017.




To be honest, there was only ever one contender for most popular official royal Instagram of July 2017. Birthday boy George always had this one in the bag. Turning four guaranteed us a new official photo which had the top spot sorted before it was even released. But the Chris Jackson portrait of a smiling George was successful beyond anything seen so far on official royal Instagram accounts. It took 307k likes and counting in just a few days, making it easily that channel's most liked photo ever and. That's in a month with a lot of photos to get through as the Cambridges toured Germany and Poland, hit Wimbledon and did the whole State Banquet thing when King Felipe and Queen Letizia came to call. Nothing came close to George.





Birthdays played big in Sweden, too, this month where the official royal Instagram account was on fire and winning more hearts than you can shake a stick at. There was a rush of shared images for the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria and you put a popular princess, big birthday and Instagram together and you get a mad rush of likes. The most popular image, just, was this stand out snap of Victoria with her children, Estelle and Oscar, on the carriage ride through Stockholm on her birthday. This is what royal Instagram is all about. A fab photo, behind the scenes and giving us something we wouldn't otherwise see and all taken by Victoria's husband, Daniel, as the two of them tried to keep adventurous Oscar in the carriage itself. But it had stiff competition with official portraits of Victoria almost beating it to top spot and an image of the whole Swedish Royal Family released to celebrate summer hot on its heels. It's been a really successful month for Sweden's royals and that's written large on the Instagram page where the House of Bernadotte can currently do no wrong.
Belgium's official royal Instagram account also had its best month ever. This is one of the newest around and it's still building a following. Right now it has just under 6,500 followers compared to Kensington Palace's 2 million. So it's most liked image of July is a real triumph. OK, it's only on 3,000 or so likes but that's about half its followers and it's easily the most popular post it's had so far. And it shows that the next generation of the country's royals are bringing in the likes - this photo of heir to the throne, Princess Elisabeth, with her two brothers and sister was shared to mark Belgium's National Day on July 21st and outdid anything else on the account with no questions asked. Check out the comments, Elisabeth is a royal star in the making.




Back to the birthdays and another anniversary special ended up as the most liked Instagram post on the official Norwegian royal account. The slightly awkward photo of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus unveiling the, shall we call it unusual, statue of his mother, Queen Sonja, on her actual 80th birthday took at terrific 2,115 hears in July, making it one of this new account's most popular posts ever. This royal channel started out by promising to put the people and places visited by the Royal Family at the top of its agenda but in a summer of celebrating birthdays, it's the family itself who have ended up centre stage with the like count going up as a result.  Pretty pictures of princes and princesses are where it's at with Instagram.



If you don't have a really big birthday or a huge anniversary to post about, pets will always prove popular. Denmark's royals gave us a dog on Instagram in July 2017, what's not to love? Crown Princess Mary shared two photos of her family's new pet dog, Grace, on the official account and sent the heart meter soaring. The pair of snaps took in over 13,000 likes during the month. The comments are interesting, too. Plenty of those who left a message were oohing over Grace and remembering Ziggy, the princely pet pooch who passed away earlier this year. This post is a great example of how Instagram and social media allows the royals to take full control of their image - Instagram offers the royals a chance to add something more personal to the public image on their own terms while keeping their hands firmly on the keys to the castle door.
There were no really big birthdays or new pets for the Dutch royals to celebrate but fear not, that other favourite regal staple, the summer holiday pose, swept in from the right at the start of July and topped the official Instagram likes for the month. We got a whole album of lovely images from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima as they posed alongside their three daughters and they got over 13,000 likes in return. It all comes back to the same thing, that image of happy family with a focus on the next generation. 
Did I mention birthdays were always popular on Instagram? That new photo of George at four was the most liked image on the official account of Clarence House with 12.1k hearts but coming in second was another birthday image. The Mario Testino portrait released for the 70th birthday of the Duchess of Cornwall, showing Camilla and Charles getting cuddly, took almost 9,000 likes which is a good showing for this account which is image heavy but usually sees pics taking 1-2,000 hearts a go. And it had a busy month with an avalanche of images of the couple's engagements as well as some fabulously fun shares from the past so this tally of support is pretty impressive all round.
Prince George also topped the poll on the official Royal Family account as well with 77,000 likes and counting there. Overall, that one image has taken around 400,000 hearts in just over a week of publication, an indication of the power of one photo. A photo of George, Charlotte and their mum and dad came in second with 36,000 likes. In fact, the Cambridges dominated the Royal Family most liked list, too, despite another busy month of regal images there. At a time when William and Kate are coming under increasing scrutiny over their workload, it's interesting to see that in the image led world of Instagram, one smile is enough to win plenty of friends and influence people, briefly at least. For that's the other side of social media. The narrative can change instantly on both sides. The posts tell us how the royals want to be seen, the likes tell us what we want to see and like everything in life, it's fluid. July 2017 was all about birthdays but it will be interesting to see where the love lies in times when there's no cake to eat.

What other royals did on a day of history

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Life goes on. All eyes might have been on Prince Philip as he retired from public life with a final solo engagement at Buckingham Palace on August 2nd 2017, but other royals were marching into the future as the curtain fell. On the day that the Duke of Edinburgh retired from public life, there was a handful of royal appearances across the continent. Here's what other royals did on a day for the history books.


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The Princess Royal was in Scotland where she attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cast rehearsal at Redford Barracks. Anne, who is the Tattoo's patron, was all smiles - clearly her retirement card for her dad went down well.



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Princess Sofia of Sweden had a packed day in Bastad. Her morning started with attendance at the Sustainability Tomorrow conference in the city - her charity, Project Playground, is one of its main partners.




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In the evening, the princess was at a charity dinner in the city, getting everyone thinking by choosing baby blue for her outfit with just weeks to go before the arrival of her second child (there was a lot of blue last time round when pregnant with Prince Alexander, check it out here).


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In Spain, King Felipe was hitting the waves as he took part in the 36th Copa del Rey off the coast of Mallorca where he's currently holidaying with Queen Letizia, their daughters Leonor and Sofia, and his wider family.




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Also at the event were Pierre Casiraghi and his wife, Beatrice, who welcomed a baby boy, Stefano, earlier this year.



In Norway, things were much more low key. The Royal Household posted a photo on its Instagram page of the library in Dronningpark where all summer long, the gates are open for people to pop in and read in the sunshine. You need a bit of time off to be able to enjoy that - perfect for a certain prince who was stepping into retirement on a day of history as royal life carried on.

Photo: Edinburgh Tattoo Twitter.

Two royal brides for August

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August might be a popular time for brides across Europe but for royal brides, it's not that hot a date. What with all those regal relatives heading off to their summer palaces for a bit of a break, getting all the royal guests in one place for an August wedding can be hard work. But in one country, they don't let that get in their way of holding a royal wedding. Norway loves an August marriage and in the last fifty years, it's given us two of the continent's biggest royal weddings in that month. Here's a look back at two royal August brides....




Sonja Haraldsen married Harald of Norway on August 29th 1968 in Oslo


This was a controversial royal wedding at the time but it's produced one of the most successful regal partnerships of the last century. When Harald, then Crown Prince of Norway, fell in love with a merchant's daughter called Sonja Haraldsen there were more than a few raised eyebrows. Harald, the only person in Norway with succession rights to his country's throne, was supposed to marry royalty and his declaration that he'd remain single rather than wed anyone other than Sonja put his monarchy in a tricky situation. No marriage meant no heirs which meant a constitutional crisis. Harald got his way and as a sign of the royal approval his match had won, his father King Olav walked the bride to the altar of Oslo Domkirke on Augus 29th 1968 - her own father had passed away nine years earlier. Harald and Sonja have been notoriously happy and hugely successful - just after their silver jubilee in January 2016, they had approval ratings of 90%. The couple went on to have two children and now have a whole bevy of grandchildren to keep them busy. Their joint 80th birthday celebrations earlier this year attracted a huge show of popular support. This is one love match that has lasted and then some.



Mette-Marit Tjessem Hjoiby married Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway
on August 25th 2001 in Oslo


Another August wedding in Oslo, another controversial love match. Harald and Sonja's son, Haakon Magnus, followed in his parents' footsteps by causing all kinds of debate with his choice of partner. The Crown Prince fell in love with Mette-Marit Tjessem Hjoiby who already had a son from a previous relationship and who had been involved in a party set that raised eyebrows. Haakon held firm and his parents backed him with the resulting royal wedding, the first major match of the 21st century, turning into a regal celebration like no other. There was a glittering guest list, a very loved up bride and groom and one of the best royal wedding dresses ever. No one was surprised when Haakon and Mette-Marit turned into a super romantic married pair. Sixteen years and two more children on, they're still starry eyed about one another. Norway's August royal brides are winners all the way.


12 royal birthdays for August

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrates her birthday in August

August is traditionally quiet on the royal front. The summer holidays beckon and as the rest of us head off for a bit of a break, the royals do exactly the same leaving a great big gaping hole where the photos, smiles and appearances usually go. But that's not to say a royal fix will be hard in August because it's also a bumper month for birthdays. Get the cards ready, here are 12 royals who will be celebrating in August.



Prince Louis of Luxmbourg is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Louis Zavier Marie Guillaume was born on August 3rd 1986 in Luxembourg. He is the third son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who were still heirs at the time of Louis' birth. He went to school in Luxembourg and Switzerland. The past year has been a sad one for Louis - his union with Tessy Antony ended with the couple announcing they were parting after 11 years of marriage. The couple has two sons together, Noah and Gabriel.



Charlotte Casiraghi is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi was born on August 3rd 1986 in Monaco, the second child and first daughter of Princess Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. Her father died when she was four and Charlotte went to live in France with her mother and two brothers. Charlotte attends major events in Monaco with her family. She has a son, Raphael, from her relationship with French actor, Gad Elmaleh.



Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson is 74 on August 3rd 2017

Christina Louise Helena was born on August 3rd 1943 at the Haga Palace, near Stockholm, the fourth daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Soon after the birth of her only brother, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf, her father died. Christina married Tord Gosta Magnuson in 1974 and gave up her HRH title as a result.The couple has three sons. The past year has seen Princess Christina being treated for chronic leukaemia.




Princess Beatrice of York is 29 on August 8th 2017

Beatrice Elizabeth Mary was born on August 8th 1988 at the Portland Hospital in London, the first child of Andrew, Duke of York and his then wife, Sarah. She went to school in Berkshire and university in London. In the past year there has been debate about whether she and her sister, Eugenie, should become full time royals but for now Beatrice's appearances are limited to major events like Trooping the Colour as well as a handful of engagements for charities she is involved in.


Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau is 49 on August 11th 2017

Mabel Martine Wisse Smit was born on August 11th 1968 in Pijnacker in the Netherlands to Hendrik Los and his wife, Florence. Her father died when she was young and she took her stepfather's surname when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit in 1984. She married Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands in 2004 after her future husband had given up his rights to the throne following controversy about their relationship - the Dutch Prime Minister said that the couple had given incomplete information about Mabel's relationship with a drugs dealer, Klaas Bruinsma. Mabel and Johan Friso had two daughters. The prince died in 2013, eighteen months after a ski-ing accident which had left him in a coma. Princess Mabel has worked in the fields of humanitarianism for many years.



Princess Anne, The Princess Royal is 67 on August 15th 2017

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15th 1950 at Clarence House, London, the second child and first daughter of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her mother became Queen in 1952 and Anne was second in line to the throne for eight years before the birth of her brother, Andrew. She won the European Eventing Championship in 1971 and competed in the 1976 Olympics. She married Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973 and they had two children, Peter and Zara. Following their divorce, Anne married Timothy Laurence. The Princess Royal carries out hundreds of public engagements every year and is also known for her work with Save the Children. She now has three granddaughters.



Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is 44 on August 19th 2017

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was born on August 19th 1973 in Kristiansand, Norway to Sven Hoiby and his wife, Marit. Her parents divorced when she was young and she grew up in Kristiansand. She had a son, Marius, in 1997 and she was a controversial royal fiancee when her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon Magnus was announced in 2000.  They married in August 2001 and have two children together, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. The Crown Princess is now a popular member of her country's Royal Family and has a high profile with public engagements and her work to improve literacy and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS.







Prince Gabriel of Belgium is 14 on August 20th 2017

Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie was born on August 20th 2003 in Anderlecht, Belgium, the second child and first son of the then heir to the throne, Philippe, and his wife, Mathilde. Gabriel's father became King of the Belgians in July 2013 and he is now second in line to the throne. He attends school in Belgium and is taking on an increasing number of public appearances with his family.


Princess Maria Laura of Belgium is 29 on August 26th 2017

Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard of Belgium, Archducess of Austria-Este was born on August 26th 1988 in Woluwe-St-Lambert in Belgium. She is the second child and first daughter of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband. Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. She wasn't a Princess of Belgium at birth, acquiring that title and succession rights in 1991 with a change in the law. Her grandfather, Albert, became King of the Belgians in 1993 and abdicated in favour of her uncle, Philippe, in 2013. Maria Laura makes very few public appearances and is currently studying.



Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is 73 on August 26th 2017

Richard Alexander Walter George was born on August 26th 1944 in Northamptonshire, the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife, Alice. He is the youngest of the grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.He studied architecture at Cambridge and was set for a career in that field when his older brother, William, was killed in an air crash in 1972 making Richard heir to their father. He became Duke of Gloucester on Henry's death in 1974 and has carried out a wide range of public engagements on behalf of the Queen ever since. He married Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 and the couple has three children and six grandchildren.


 


Prince Nikolai of Denmark is 18 on August 28th 2017

Royal grandchild coming of age alert. Yes, you're really int the royal grandparents club when you have a second generation descendant hitting eighteen and that's what will happen to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark this August. Nikolai William Alexander Frederik was born on August 28th 1999 at the University Hospital of Copenhagen. He is the first child of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra. His parents divorced when he was five and they had joint custody of Nikolai and his younger brother, Felix. He is now a student and appears with his family on major royal occasions.

  
  

Anne-Marie of Greece is 71 on August 30th 2017

Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30th 1946 in Copenhagen, the third daughter of the then Crown Prince, Frederik, and his wife, Ingrid. Her father became King of Denmark in 1947 and she grew up in Copenhagen with her sisters, Margrethe and Benedikte. She married King Constantine of Greece in 1964 just months after his accession to the throne. The couple went into exile in 1967 and raised their five children in London. They now have nine grandchildren.

Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale

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